Details
Mission and objectives
UNICEF helps build a world where the rights of every child are fully realized. It is our conviction that nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstones of human progress. UNICEF was created in 1946 to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. It has global authority to influence decision-makers, and a wide variety of partners at grassroots level to turn the most innovative ideas into reality.
For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and Governments.
For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and Governments.
Context
Zambia continues to face serious nutrition challenges despite policy commitments under the Eighth National Development Plan. Thirty two percent of children under five are stunted, including ten percent severely stunted, while three percent are wasted, a life-threatening condition that reflects persistent gaps in child survival and development.
Nutrition financing remains critically low, accounting for less than 0.01 percent of the K253.1 billion national budget. Although allocations increased slightly in 2026, these gains were eroded by inflation, leaving real funding levels unchanged from 2025. Nutrition was absent from both the 2026 Budget Speech and the Medium-Term Budget Plan, and the implementation of dedicated nutrition budget lines and mainstreaming across sectors remains limited.
Public finance is therefore central to addressing malnutrition in Zambia. The Government continues to mobilise financial and technical resources through the Medium-Term Budget Plans, with nutrition investments coordinated under the Public Finance Management for Nutrition in Children (PF4C-N). Under the decentralised system, strengthening Local Authorities’ capacity to plan, track, and report on nutrition budgets is critical. Increased and better coordinated investments across health, education, agriculture, fisheries and livestock, water and sanitation, and social protection are essential to improve outcomes for children, adolescents, and women.
Nutrition financing remains critically low, accounting for less than 0.01 percent of the K253.1 billion national budget. Although allocations increased slightly in 2026, these gains were eroded by inflation, leaving real funding levels unchanged from 2025. Nutrition was absent from both the 2026 Budget Speech and the Medium-Term Budget Plan, and the implementation of dedicated nutrition budget lines and mainstreaming across sectors remains limited.
Public finance is therefore central to addressing malnutrition in Zambia. The Government continues to mobilise financial and technical resources through the Medium-Term Budget Plans, with nutrition investments coordinated under the Public Finance Management for Nutrition in Children (PF4C-N). Under the decentralised system, strengthening Local Authorities’ capacity to plan, track, and report on nutrition budgets is critical. Increased and better coordinated investments across health, education, agriculture, fisheries and livestock, water and sanitation, and social protection are essential to improve outcomes for children, adolescents, and women.
Task description
The Public Finance Officer will support the Nutrition Section, specifically working closely with the UNICEF Nutrition Specialist. S/he will contribute to the section’s policy work, focusing on Public Finance Management for Nutrition in Children (PF4C-N) and multi-sectoral nutrition coordination capacity building at sub-national level, to support the Government of Zambia’s making informed budgetary decisions to address malnutrition. Areas to be covered include:
i. Annual Planning and Budget Formulation: Supporting the alignment of national nutrition plans with Mid Term Budget Plans (MTBP) processes, to help ensure focus includes linking policy commitments in development of plans. This includes contributing to costing of nutrition plans.
ii. Monitoring Budget Allocation, Tracking, and Execution: Assist in monitoring and tracking nutrition budgets, especially at sub-national levels, to understand the level of budget allocation and execution towards nutrition intervention.
iii. Building Capacity in Public Finance Management: Support and capacity building for Government programme managers in public finance management for nutrition and governance at provincial and district level.
iv. Support capacity building for District Food and Nutrition Coordinators and their Local Authorities supervisors in multi-sectoral nutrition coordination for joint planning, budgeting, and monitoring.
v. Supporting Data Analysis and Reporting: Support data extraction, analysis, and reporting within frameworks such as the UNICEF Public Finance for Nutrition (PF4C-N), contributing to evidence-based decision-making and advocacy.
i. Annual Planning and Budget Formulation: Supporting the alignment of national nutrition plans with Mid Term Budget Plans (MTBP) processes, to help ensure focus includes linking policy commitments in development of plans. This includes contributing to costing of nutrition plans.
ii. Monitoring Budget Allocation, Tracking, and Execution: Assist in monitoring and tracking nutrition budgets, especially at sub-national levels, to understand the level of budget allocation and execution towards nutrition intervention.
iii. Building Capacity in Public Finance Management: Support and capacity building for Government programme managers in public finance management for nutrition and governance at provincial and district level.
iv. Support capacity building for District Food and Nutrition Coordinators and their Local Authorities supervisors in multi-sectoral nutrition coordination for joint planning, budgeting, and monitoring.
v. Supporting Data Analysis and Reporting: Support data extraction, analysis, and reporting within frameworks such as the UNICEF Public Finance for Nutrition (PF4C-N), contributing to evidence-based decision-making and advocacy.
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